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Boulder deputy involved in controversial DNC arrest
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A longtime Boulder County sheriff’s deputy found himself in the middle of a national news story Wednesday, when an investigative reporter for ABC News was arrested outside the Brown Palace Hotel in downtown Denver.
According to sheriff’s Cmdr. Phil West, deputy Michael Anastos, an eight-year veteran of the office, was stationed outside the hotel when ABC producer Asa Eslocker was arrested.
Earlier in the day, West said, Eslocker was asked to leave a sidewalk owned by the Brown Palace after management complained about the man filming Democratic officials leaving the hotel.
Anastos put his hands on Eslocker when he refused to leave the sidewalk the first time, West said.
“(Eslocker) was repeatedly warned about obstructing the sidewalk,” West said. “He didn’t move, and he was pushed into the street.”
Video of the incident posted by ABC News online appears to show the Boulder deputy shoving the man into the street. An ABC news story Thursday said the producer was pushed “into oncoming traffic, forcing him to the other side of the street.”
Two hours later, West said, the man returned to the area, and Denver police arrested him after he again refused to leave.
According to the ABC report, “A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker’s neck, then twisted the producer’s arm behind him to put on handcuffs.”
A police official later told lawyers for ABC News, the agency reported, that Eslocker is being charged with trespassing, interference and failure to follow a lawful order. He also said the arrest followed a signed complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel.
Eslocker was released after posting $500 bond, ABC reported.
West said the Boulder deputy was not involved in the arrest, and video of the incident is greatly edited.
“The video tape has been substantially edited, from what we understand,” West said. “What is shown to be about 15 seconds was actually taking place over three hours.”
Denver police, under an agreement with all other agencies assisting during the week of the Democratic National Convention, have launched an internal investigation into the man’s arrest.
West said the deputy who is regularly assigned to the county jail, however, will only be interviewed as a witness to the event since he was not involved in the arrest.
Meanwhile, the deputy has been allowed to remain at his post, and he does not face any immediate sanctions.
Also on Thursday, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said his office had not received any formal complaints about the deputy’s actions outside the hotel. The video of the incident, Pelle said, appears to commanders to show an “underwhelming amount of force.”
Pelle said he would not, however, make any final determinations about the deputy’s actions until the Denver investigation is complete and his commanders have had a chance to review the case.
“It would be highly inappropriate for me to render an opinion ... before there’s a complete investigation,” Pelle said.
ABC News reported that Eslocker and his colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson.”
Posted by windskull on August 28, 2008 at 10:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Seems after 8 years as a jailer,which is generally where you are assigned to bone up on people skills in a controlled environment.
The result of this individual being placed in that situation would indicate that perhaps they would better serve in a section of the department where future public contact will be minimalized
Posted by blacksho89 on August 29, 2008 at 6:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Look, if the anarchists are not allowed to block sidewalks, then neither is Eslocker.
Posted by LTB on August 29, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It should be obvious that Eslocker was trying to bring about confrontation in order to create news. He was on private property, he was asked to leave several times. The property owner signed a complaint, and Eslocker was subsequently arrested because he repeatedly refused to respect the rights of the property owner.
Its not complicated, yet my fellow Boulderites seem compelled to make this a story of jack-booted thugs muscling an "innocent" reporter who is just trying to report on the news. Give me a break...
Posted by barney on August 29, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I love the jack booted, knuckle dragging thugs that claim to "protect and serve".
Especially when they pummel innocent citizens to the ground, taze retards and get away with it!!!
yeah, real role models!
Posted by dont on August 29, 2008 at 9:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Are city sidewalks privately owned?
Posted by jbird on August 29, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a friend that used to be a bellhop at the Brown. Apparently they do own the sidewalk by some sort of historical precedent. Weak, I know, but that's the story.
Posted by resistor on August 29, 2008 at 1:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
After watching Obama's speech last night, I was, and still am, in the spirit of thinking we don't have to accept things the way they are. Police accountability is one of the many things that needs to change. I was arrested last night when trying to get the phone number of some guys who looked like they were being harassed by the police I was offering to be a witness for them. Instead, I got arrested. I'm a very chill, professional 32 year old. I'm shocked, dismayed, and disgusted by the ridiculous conduct of the Boulder police.
I learned a few weeks ago that police blatantly lie -- in court! "no, jeez, we sure don't know how the man's teeth got smashed in." And then their department defends them!? This city/state/country should not put up with this, and it's counter-productive for a police department to put up with it. Well-behaved, accountable police departments and well-behaved, accountable citizens working together is possible.
Currently, we seem to have a ridiculous police force full of officers who thrive on confrontation and have no accountability for acting on it. I'm sure there are good officers out there, but, the bad ones make people distrustful of all officers. Good officers, you should insist on the same good conduct from all of your fellow officers. Everybody wins, and your job will be easier. Imagine the positive feedback cycle if citizens trusted you and helped you -- as opposed to the current situation where even good citizens like myself don't trust you and feel like you are the bad guy. The path to fixing this situation is accountability. I've posted my experience on boulder.craigslist.org under rants and raves.
Posted by tcrjunk on August 29, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm just glad this happened to an ABC reporter. That's an organization with enough money to actually stand up and sue the city. A similar thing happened to reporters for Pacifica trying to film who attended a "thank-you-for-your-vote-for-reauthorizing-FISA" party given by the telecom industry for the "Blue-Dog" dems who reversed course on that bill..
All of these reporters were actually covering some of the most important stories at the convention. We need to know which of our Congressmembers attend each of these private "thank-you" events, so we know who traded what vote for what corporate political contribution.
Oh and our own Mark Udall is among those that voted for the FISA bill with telecom immunity. Spineless.
Posted by EasyRider on August 29, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry Joe Pelle, but police should be protecting freedom of the press and not arresting reporters investigating the role of lobbyists and top donors at the Democratic convention.
The Boulder Sheriff Deputy warned the reporter of obstructing the sidewalk (when he was not obstructing the sidewalk), physically pushed the reporter into a busy street and then accused him of obstructing traffic.
Boulder Sheriff Deputy Michael Anastos comes across as a real goon and an embarrassment to the Boulder Sheriff’s Department.
Apparently Democrat Sheriff Pelle and his staff are more concerned about catering to the Brown Palace management who complained about the reporter filming Democratic officials leaving the hotel than they are about protecting our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press.
Here’s the video.
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerInd...
Posted by Real_tor on August 29, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder how that thug Anastos treats inmates at the Boulder County jail when there are no reporters around.
Posted by JL_in_Louisville on August 29, 2008 at 6:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, it doesn't seem right that the Brown Palace should "own" the sidewalk. Even if they do because of some historical quirk, they should not be allowed to keep the ownership secret and selectively enforce their "property rights." I'm sure there are many possible sides to the various stories (straight up reporter or "instigating" news, thug or good cop) but it is not right to maintain a secret "ownership" over something that we would all normally recognize as public property.
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